MacGregor 26?

[Lynx]

beau - I do not know if what you are quoting about 'going out to sea' before buying is 100% true. I am on a Macgregor board and I tell people not to "go out to sea' in the boat all the time. My salesman did not tell me that the boat could handle it. He did not say it for the other small coastal cruisers that he sells either.

Bahamas cruising in a MacGregor - I have been to Bimini in mine and there is many who have cruised the Bahamas although I am conisidered a better sailor than most. Carribean - well, not for me in a MacGregor. Few have.

beau - your point is a valid one and should be taken with any boat someone wants to buy. Can it take what you want to sail in? For most boats under 28 feet going to sea is a great risk.

The strong points on the Macgregor is keeping it in your back yard and sleeping a family of 4 and able to somewhat sail and motor at 15 plus mph for under $ 40,000. It does have its place and is safe enough for those who use it as a coastal cruiser.

I am very happy with what I have and with what I want to do with my MacGregor. No hero stuff for me.

[rtbates]

While definetely not a trailer sailer, my Cape Dory 25D with it's gooseneck trailer can be trailered to any coast and then it can be sail across oceans. With 3.5 foot draft I can both ramp launch and retrieve. There are a few others out there that can accomplish this. The Nor Sea 27, Pacific Seacraft Dana or Flicka. Yes they do need a vehicle with ass to pull them. I use an F250. You might want to read this book by John Vigor Amazon.com: Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere: Books: John Vigor

[Entlie]

FYI, Neighbors of ours in New Bern, NC have posted a gently used 2000 McGregor for sale. See the Classifieds section if interested.

Entlie
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby

[Divecoz]

1.Why would a dealer be selling a boat he is not behind? The is bit of money inolve with being a dealer.
2. Your going to have to makeup your mind.
First off 18 ft. or 26 ft. Overnighter or day sailor and the list goes on.
The boats your caught between have almost nothing in common , other than they float and have a sail.

[Oregon Patrick]

I was at the same place as you 10 years ago, I looked at the Macgregor and ended up buying a nice 1986 Hunter 23. Fixed keel, shallow draft trailerable.
The Hunter 23:
Sailboat Knowledge Base
I had started chartering bigger boats in the San Juans, and the Hunter 23 sailed like a mini version of the 38s and 42s I was chartering.
Also worthy of note, my little hunter handles 'too much' wind nicely, when I rented a Catlaina 22 in Tahoe, I rounded up 3 times trying to heal it close to what my Hunter did with no problem.
A boat 'rounds up' when it's healing over too far and the rudder comes out of the water.
Before anybody yells at me for rounding up the Catalina, I had 3 tough bikers on my boat, they thought sailing was wimpy until that trip...
I'm not real excited about retractable keels, If I run my Hunter aground (always with someone else at the helm) 2 guys get off in chest deep water, and just give it a shove in the right direction. Just the weight getting off the boat usually floats it. In Oregon, it's a bit colder and more of a chore than the tropics, I have since added a depth guage.
Happy sailing!
Oregon Patrick

[Barpilot]

If you are serious about sailing, sail a real boat. Get the Catalina. Maybe a PWB, plain white boat, but none the less, a real boat.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Oregon Patrick

Also worthy of note, my little hunter handles 'too much' wind nicely, when I rented a Catlaina 22 in Tahoe, I rounded up 3 times trying to heal it close to what my Hunter did with no problem.
A boat 'rounds up' when it's healing over too far and the rudder comes out of the water.
Before anybody yells at me for rounding up the Catalina, I had 3 tough bikers on my boat, they thought sailing was wimpy until that trip...

I have rented Catalina 250's and had them "well" heeled over and never rounded up. The boat doesn't go any faster but it's kinda fun ;-)

Maybe the 22 is different. Don't have any experience with the hunter but everything I hear is good.

For a first boat the catalina, hunter or cape dory are nice.

I am not a macgregor fan at all after one capsized here and became basically a write off.

IMHO keelboats should self right if the cabin is not flooded and perhaps even if it is.

[Divecoz]

Real Boat shmeal boat its all in the eyes or the desires of the holder. Most often life shows the snobs have nothing to be snobbish about.....

[Moonchaser2304]

I went through 3 different Catalina-22's before getting my Catalina 30. There are volumes written on the weather helm / rounding up characteristic of the Catalina-22. It can be a real muscle work out to pull the tiller up while standing on the side of the opposite lazzerate. The cause is a sail trim issue, or from having too much sail in the air and overpowering it. When the rudder is almost out of the water at a lot of heel angle, there also is the "pop" you have to do to the tiller handle when the cavitation bubbles accumlate ("popping" the tiller blows the bubbles off the rudder). I don't know how the C-22 compares to the Macgregor but if I recall the chine angles are different between the two boats. (Macgregor being more flat bottom?)

[CharlieCobra]

I've never sailed the 26Xor M so I can't say anything about them. I do have a '76 Venture 21 that I've sailed in lakes and the Sound. I've had it in 25 knots and 5' seas without real issues. It was a thrill surfing at 8.4 down the waves if nerve racking. The little old Mac is a decent, light, swing keel boat, great to learn on. However, the little Mac stays on the trailer in the driveway with a "For Sale" sign on it since I got the big boat. What ever ya get, get out there and have fun.

[KYLakes]

I have been looking hard at he M26 as a beginning boat, not only for its cost but it novice sailability (if there is such a word You do get what you pay for and they are inexpensive, to say the least, for a novice sailor to learn on and about sailing. There is plenty of room but the workmanship leaves something to be desired. It does have some unique features but is not a true sailboat in my opinion, but then what do I know?

Allan

[Moonchaser2304]

I am clearly prejudiced toward Catalina's as an inland/coastal cruiser and I don't know about resale on an M26, but it is something to consider because chances are fairly good you'll want to trade later..I've never lost money selling a Catalina because they are the "Ford Taurus" of sailboats...pretty solid and a lot of them around. The biggest issue needing to be decided is if you are going to trailer sail or put it in a slip..Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info on Catalina's and M26.

[Divecoz]

Originally Posted by KYLakes

I have been looking hard at he M26 as a beginning boat, not only for its cost but it novice sail-ability (if there is such a word You do get what you pay for and they are inexpensive, to say the least, for a novice sailor to learn on and about sailing. There is plenty of room but the workmanship leaves something to be desired. It does have some unique features but is not a true sailboat in my opinion, but then what do I know?

Allan

Hummm Allen lets have a look at your post;
You admit to being new to sailing , everyone is at some time are we not?
But you have already, without skill or knowledge began making judgments and assumptions.
Now tell me and the rest of the board where you feel ( know) that the workmanship is lacking. How much time have you spent assessing a Mac to come up with your opinion's? What is your background? Are You a Structural Engineer? Do you know and understand the difference between light and strong and light and cheap? On then other hand do you know the difference between heavy and strong and just heavy . Lets see if you can defends your statements.

[KYLakes]

HUMMMMMMMMM, new guy being put on the block already huh? My "working knowledge" comes from those that have and sailed the M26 and other Macgregor boats for many years. The is a vast forum at MacgregorSailor.com with over 4,000 members and in excess of 87,000 posts. For the past several months I have, since finding that forum, read continuously about the Mac; it performance, capabilities, adaptabilities and its deficiencies. Being retired, having the time, dedicated interest and in search of a boat; I have read many such forums/posts, as to be found, as the one here. From the Mac forum: one of the chief complains is to the workmanship of the Builders and the assembly at their dealers. The use of weak parts, cheap aluminum, plastic parts, lack of detail in assembly, bolts, washers, screws missing, cheap wiring all is there for anyone to read. NOW the structural integrity of the boat seems to be in tact as many have sailed it for years with no problems. Sailed it up and down the Eastern seaboard to South American and on the Pacific from San Diego to Alaska.

If it were a requirement to be a "Structural Engineer" to post an opinion on this site then I must have misread your posting regs and do hereby, whole heartedly apologize to You, The Board and any member I may have offended.

You most humble novice,

Allan

[Divecoz]

He said she said is not a good way to judge anything. There will always e a cry baby or someone you just cannot make happy. But 99% of all those posting have been positive. I too am retired btw I retired early.
A fully loaded Mac with a 50 HP motor will bring you n somewhere around $25K to $35K. You can do it for less and I believe most do. You build it up over time.
Sailing performance is not that of a conventional 26 foot sail boat. Not by any means. Under power can anything out here stay with a Mac? Looks like we are making choices already. What do YOU need. Cabin size / volume, how does it compare with any other trailer sailor. The Mac , can and is pulled by mini vans and launched everywhere. No deep water launch no 1 ton dually Pickem up truck. My knowledge is from the boards and 4 years of sailing a Mac btw.
I find very few justifiable complaints about the boat anywhere. There has never been a hull failure on a boat that has been produced more than any other boat in the world.
Its not an I.P. or any other boat cost 3 to 50 times more. It is just what it is.
BTW there is not a huge turnover in Macs and they hold their price quite well. Look at the cost of other 26 ft. sail boats. Hunters and Catalina's galore for sale cheap . Lots of people have lost slips and jobs etc etc. Mine could if it needed to sit right beside my garage for free.
Is it THE boat for you? maybe not if you live on a deep water lake of no less than 5000 acres 10K 20K 50K would be better. In fact Table Rock would be real good .
I sail out of a slip on lake Michigan. A pretty good size lake and fairly deep. But my desire is to take my Mac next fall to the Bahamas like 100's of other mac owners have done before me. To the dry Tortuga's as well and to the Sea of Cortez Mexico.
AND Then bring her home and sail Lake Michigan again or any other lake with 8 feet of water. For me she works well.
You don't have to be an engineer to post but I was pretty darn sure ( and maybe wrong) that hull flex was your issue and that is not so from NASA To Nascar.
So hey buy what YOU like its your money. If your in the Bahamas I might see ya if your out at the Dry Tortugas or in the Sea of Cortez I might see if your up around the Apostle islands I might see ya as well. But if your stuck on one lake because it takes two hard weeks to sail into the next one??? I wont see ya...
Did you read about the guy who sailed the Alaskan inside Passage? The Guy who sails from Alaska to the Sea of Cortez another Mad Mike who has not done a transatlantic but just about everything else with pictures to prove it. All on Mac 26 X's and M's Not to shabby imho.